EnglishTutorsOnline | Blog

English content to help you learn

I vs. Me You can contact I if you have any questions. Uh, what? We KNOW that’s not right, right? It just plain sounds goofy, doesn’t it? Well, what if we switch it around, make the subject plural (my partner and I), and put it at the end? Tip #1 You can can contact my…

Affect vs. Effect Ah, what a troublesome pair! The reason these words cause so many people so much confusion is that they are homophones–words that sound the same but have different meanings. When listening casually to a speaker, it’s difficult to tell the difference, and most of us can bluff our way through the speaking…

Academic Help: Punctuating In-Text Citations The period always goes after the last closing parenthesis in an in-text citation. For example… According to cycling coach Jonah Smith, “chocolate milk is the perfect recovery drink after a long ride” (34). The author is “Johan Smith,” and he is mentioned in the signal phrase; what he said is…

Commas and Periods Always Go Inside… Commas and periods ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS go inside the closing quotation mark in standard American English. Period. 1) I really like the word “cheese.” 2) He said, “I really like cheddar cheese.” 3) “I do like cheese,” said the mouse, “when it’s not baiting a trap.” In every case,…

Then vs. Than People often confuse, or misuse, these two words. Here are two quick tips that can help you remember the difference between them. Then has an “e,” which stands for “eternity,” or “time.” Then indicates a change in events: He walked to the store, then he purchased groceries. Than has an “a,” which…